Trip to Fall
by Lethe Seraph
Summary: JouKai So, he's woken up. That's all right, right? Well, what does he do when he's woken up on the floor note, floor of his nemesis? A strange sense of humor and romance, if you can call it that, combine in this oddity of a fic ... [hiatus]
1. Pay attention

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter One: Pay attention**

            -----

            Yes!  I am returning once again to the beloved realm of Jou/Seto shounen-ainess.  ::huggles:: I just can't resist. ^_^;;

            I hope that this fic, erm, piques your interest.  It's rather short, but the next chapter might be better. ^_^;;

            Please read, and upon completion of the first request, review! ^^

            ----

            The bell rang, and he couldn't help but sigh a loud and relieved sigh.  It had been the longest Friday in his life to date.  He was looking forward to getting home and doing nothing for a good, solid forty-eight hours. 

            He was so productive over the weekends; he couldn't help but be proud of himself.

            Jonouchi slung his backpack casually over his shoulder and made his way out of the classroom, joining the growing throng of teenagers.  As he moved with the current, he scanned the crowd for a familiar, small, tricolored head.

            Nope.  Not there, not there, not there… He sighed again.  Too bad.  Not that it mattered – he was going to sleep over at Yugi's tonight, along with Honda.  Maybe they would get to watch the video that he had lent to Yugi a while back.

            Not that they would be able to sleep peacefully after that.  But still, it was a thought.

            Yes, he did think.  _Some people don't seem to believe that_, he thought with a dark undercurrent aimed towards Seto Kaiba, wherever he might be, bless his shriveled-up, coal-black, hell-bound heart.  Just today, the idiot CEO had insulted him – _again_.  Without provocation, excepting his innocuous comment regarding Kaiba's lack of any social or sexual life in any way, shape or form.  Why would he take offense at that?  And Kaiba hadn't even been original in his retort!  Yadda, yadda, puppies shouldn't insult their masters, yadda yadda yadda.  Same old, same old.

            He gave a third sigh and hitched his backpack higher on his shoulders as he shuffled through the crowd.  And Kaiba was supposed to be the smartest person in the school, huh?

            Sunlight!  

            Jonouchi had finally passed back into the realm of the living.  He grinned and took in his surroundings: colorful trees, green grass, blue sky, and the smell of apple pie!  Yes, it was truly autumn.  Jonouchi loved the feel that fall gave.  He couldn't explain it, but it made him feel a bit better about life in general.  It was like everything was trying to make its best impression on the world before it died off when winter came.  Especially the trees.  They were striking in their vibrancy, colors flaring under the golden sunlight.

            Speaking of colorful…

            "Oi!  Yugi!" he yelled happily, waving his arm back and forth.  The small boy turned and, when he recognized Jou, burst into one of his trademark beaming grins.  It was like he was totally thrilled that Jonouchi was there, and in truth, he probably was.  But damn!  The kid smiled so openly it would have been hard for Jonouchi not to smile in return.            

            Jou grinned and waved again.

            Unfortunately, while he had been doing so, he had forgotten to stop walking.

            -

            He ran through the list in his head one more time for good measure.

            First, find the limousine driver.  Upon finding, berate for being late and not having the sense to show up right in front of the school, on time.  If no proper reason, subservient apology, or halfway creative excuse is given, fire on the spot and call the backup driver.

            Second, go home.  Work on program, taking a quick break to greet Mokuba.  Ask Mokuba if he has homework, and suggest that he gets to it.  Remind Mokuba that he has an Open House night at school.  

            Third, continue work on program…

            Kaiba nodded slightly to himself.  Simple.  With any luck, the coding would be done by Saturday, at which point he could test the program in his new disk system, work out the bugs, and prepare it for mass market release.  Which reminded him; he had a press conference of some sort on Sunday…

            _Where's the driver?_

            Damn it, thought Kaiba vaguely, walking forward in an attempt to catch sight of his limo over the crowd.

            Then, before he knew it, his thoughts were interrupted by an annoying blond fluffhead commonly referred to as Katsuya Jonouchi.

            -

            "Ooof!" cried Jonouchi, tripping over a loose block of sidewalk.  He felt, for a moment, as though time had slowed down; his arms were windmilling slowly in a futile attempt to regain his balance, and with it, a piece of his dignity.

            But, no, it was too late.

            Time sped up.

            He found that he had not actually fallen down.  Nay, he had managed to grab onto something.  Something… tall.  And silky.  And…

            -

            Kaiba looked down.  There was currently a Jou hanging on him, hands clutching Kaiba's shoulders for dear life.  _What should I do now? _he mused.  He had a variety of choices – he could shove Jou to the ground, yell at him for being a clumsy mutt, walk away briskly, glare at him, or ask him if he was all right and would he kindly get the hell off now before Kaiba hit him upside the head with his suitcase.

            That last one was tempting.

            -

            Jonouchi looked up.  Slowly, his brain connected the pieces.

            He had tripped.

            And grabbed onto Kaiba's shoulders so as not to make contact with the ground.

            Perhaps it would have been better if he had fallen headfirst from the second story of the school and made contact with a rosebush.


	2. You're about to be got

Trip to Fall 

by Lethe Seraph

Chapter Two: You're about to be got 

            Though he wasn't a fast thinker, thousands of thoughts rushed through his head during this one moment.  Included in them were random thoughts, like _So will Yugi want to watch the movie?_, vague thoughts, like _Oooh!  It's silk!_, and – most prominent in this teenage mind – panicked thoughts that were hardly coherent.  

            _Okay, Jou.  Let go now.  Now.  Damn it! _

            His hands wouldn't move.  In that one moment, he was frozen – by fear, which he recognized immediately (_Will he hit me, or what?_) and by something else, which he did not recognize.  

Perhaps it was daring.  He had finally gotten through Seto Kaiba's personal bubble.  Jonouchi had pierced the mysterious mist and proven that yes, in fact, Kaiba was alive, not a ghost, and very much touchable. 

 Perhaps it was amazement.  _Is that strawberry I smell on him?  Nah.  Couldn't be.  I must be imagining things._  

Perhaps it was curiosity.  _How long until he moves?  Is it strawberry or vanilla?  It kinda smells like both.  Huh._

Or perhaps it was the simple truth that Jonouchi was enjoying himself very much and didn't want to let go, lest Kaiba decide to punch his lights out – er, scorn him until the end of eternity while calling him a mangy mongrel.

            Although Kaiba did that already anyway.

            What did Jonouchi have to lose?

            What was there to gain?

            How could Jou get further under Kaiba's easily irritated skin?

            What he wanted to do, Jonouchi decided in that one moment, was to annoy the hell out of Kaiba.

            But how…?

            He almost had an idea.

            -

            _Five more seconds,_ determined Kaiba, _and I move.  _He had decided that the astonishment given by being able to touch such a sacred and noteworthy personage as himself had stunned Jonouchi's already poorly functioning mind into a state of shock.  That might have sounded rather high-and-mighty of him, true, but it was merely a fact: Kaiba was superior.  People scrambled out of his way when he passed – at KaibaCorp, anyway.  Jonouchi was intriguing in that he was too stupid to know any better.

            _Four… _

            _Three…_

_            Two…_

            One- 

            -

            Jonouchi prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do.  While it would most likely be distasteful, and just plain icky, it would be worth it to see the expression on Kaiba's face.  He could deal with the rumors later.

            He cleared his throat.

            "Oh!" he said, as though he were actually surprised by the turn of events – well, he was, but not to such an extent.  _Good.  He's looking at me funny now.  I've got his attention.  Okay, here goes._  "Good afternoon…"

            -

            "Oh!" said Jonouchi in surprise.

            _He's awake,_ thought Kaiba.  _Now what?_

            He hadn't expected this: Jonouchi pressed a bit closer to him, and looked up – seductively?!

            "Good afternoon, Seto-koi," said Jonouchi sweetly.

            Kaiba suppressed the "WHAT THE HELL?!" that was raging against his tongue.  No, he would keep his cool and follow this through to the end.  The mutt must have lost his mind.  "When did I give you permission to refer to me by a _nickname_, mutt?"

            Jonouchi smiled, and Kaiba stiffened at the close proximity.  "Oh, don't play coy, Seto…koi," he said, smiling.  The smile was frightening in its attractiveness – it had a strange effect upon Kaiba, making his heart race yet faster and his pale cheeks burn.  He attributed it to annoyance.  He should be on his way home by now, preparing work.  He shouldn't be here, with… That smile was still there.  Kaiba didn't know what to do.  

            He _didn't know what to do._

            They were drawing a crowd.  He couldn't be humiliated.  He wouldn't!

            He couldn't move.

            -

            He had been right.  It was worth it, decided Jonouchi as he looked up into Kaiba's cerulean eyes.  Normally icy and still, they were now wide with surprise.  Jonouchi could see it, how Kaiba was almost frightened out of his mind.  Things were out of the CEO's control now.  Jonouchi liked it that way.  Kaiba's eyes remained trained on him, waiting for him to move – for him to do something, anything to break them out of this new, strange silence.  And Jonouchi would oblige, yes indeed.

            He wondered what Kaiba would think.

            -

            Why did his body refuse to heed his command?  _Move, Seto told his body sternly, trying to look away from Jonouchi but finding himself unable.  __Move, now._

            As Jonouchi began to press up towards him, his body obliged.

            Unfortunately, Seto had not specified in which direction it should move…

            -

            The wide eyes had become hooded, longing.  Jonouchi blinked.  _Is he coming on to me?  It had just been a joke!  Jonouchi tried to quickly back away, but Kaiba had the upper hand now._

            Jonouchi was cornered by that lost look, and he found that he - the hunter - had found himself trapped.

            Kaiba let a questioning hand brush lightly down Jonouchi's cheek, and for the first time, Jonouchi saw him smile.

            Even if Jonouchi had wanted to escape…

            -

            What was he doing?  Kaiba knew the answer, of course, but for the life of him would never be able to say why.  Why was he trailing his fingers across Jonouchi's face, like a child in his curiosity?  Why was he marveling at the softness of the other's battle-edged features, edging up to his unruly blond hair, pulling closer himself?

            Why…?

            -

            Jonouchi was, to say the least, amazed.  He hadn't known that Kaiba could smile so… so nicely.  The Kaiba he knew was a jerk who only cared about his work and his little brother, and often neglected the latter to complete the former.  The Kaiba he knew would have shoved Jonouchi away the moment they touched.  The Kaiba he knew wasn't romantically attracted to anyone, regardless of age, gender, or occupation, damn it!  He almost had the urge to ask him _who_ he was and what he had done with Seto Kaiba, multibillionaire teen CEO.

            But his heart was hammering too loudly to let his voice through.

            He had no choice but to let Kaiba pull closer, not knowing what was happening and for some inexplicable reason wishing that the moment would never stop.

So it was vanilla after all…


	3. This feeling releases no one

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Three: This feeling releases no one**

            He didn't know how long they had been standing there, or when the crowd had given up and dispersed.  

            He didn't know why the other hadn't broken away, or for that matter he himself hadn't.

            He didn't know why he longed for it to continue.

            But did it really matter…?

            -

            For the first time in a long time, Seto Kaiba was confused.  He loathed the mutt with a passion; the only reason he graced Jonouchi with his speech was to tell him in no uncertain terms just why he was a doglike fool who would get no better lot in life than to flip hamburgers at a cheap fast-food joint, _if_ he could learn how to do _that_ properly.  Which Seto doubted.

            So why was he so reluctant to let go?

            -

            Jonouchi was drawn out of his reverie by a whisper at his shoulder.  "…Jonouchi…?"

            It was Kaiba's voice, he was sure of it – but it didn't sound like him at all.  He could list quite a few reasons why:

            One.  He wasn't sure that Kaiba actually _knew_ his name, as the taller boy seemed to be rather fond of calling him such derogatory terms such as 'mutt' or 'idiot'.

            Two.  Kaiba always spoke in a manner that irritated the hell out of him.

            Three.  That manner was usually brisk, to the point, and absolutely self-assured.

            It was none of those things.

            On the contrary, thought Jonouchi without thinking about it, Seto sounded doubtful.  His whisper was one that made Jonouchi want to hold him close and reassure him – of what, he didn't know, but he wanted to nonetheless.

            What could Kaiba want?  He had everything, didn't he?

            _Not everything._

Money – 

            A caring brother – 

            A mansion that echoed so that it sounded large, and hollow, and nearly empty, though Jonouchi couldn't even begin to guess how he knew this.

            Maybe Kaiba was lonely, realized Jonouchi for the first time.

            Maybe when they bantered, it was somehow more important, more meaningful, because he was the one person Seto's age that conversed with him on a regular basis about topics other than work.

            Maybe.

            "Yeah?" replied Jonouchi quietly.  He didn't move.

            A pause.  Seto's body was tensed, ready to pull back now.  "Don't you hate me?"

            Ah.  There was a question that Jonouchi would like the answer to.  Hadn't he, just barely ten minutes ago, been thinking about how lovely it would be to wring Seto's insides out, make a tennis racket with them, and whack the rest of his bodily parts over the Atlantic?  Kaiba was a cold-hearted bastard who enjoyed putting Jonouchi down.

            Here they were, though.  Why?  It wasn't like Seto was a _girl._

            And there was the key point: If he remained, he would have to dredge up topics that he had long since decided would be better off buried for the sake of his friends.

            But Jou…

            …didn't hate him…

            "No," was all that Jou could manage.  One word, barely able to choke its way through the tightened cords of his throat.  Gods, he was nervous.  Not because of the close contact – actually, it felt kind of nice – but, rather, because he feared the loss of that contact.

            Too many deep thoughts.  

            His head hurt.  

            "Jou?"

            Seto and Jonouchi both started out of their respective musings, turning to stare at the owner of the new voice and realizing that they would have to look down to do so.

            In short: Yugi was still there.  And he had seen the whole thing.

            Jonouchi practically flung himself out of Seto's arms, as though he hadn't put himself there in the first place.  "Y-Yugi!  Hi!"

            Yugi cocked his head to one side.  His amethyst eyes were perplexed.  "Are you okay?"  After a moment, he added politely, "Good afternoon, Kaiba!"

            Kaiba, who was currently looking like he had been thwarted somehow and didn't really know why, chose to answer with a small nod.   "Good day.  There are some things that I must attend to, so I hope you'll forgive me if I leave without conducting proper conversation."  Business talk, cold and shuttered.  Jonouchi wondered what he was thinking.

            It didn't matter.  Nothing Kaiba did mattered.  Nothing at all.  He was a jerk.  Jonouchi repeated it within his mind: a silent mantra.  He wouldn't ponder on the subject of Kaiba any longer.

            He wouldn't think about why Kaiba hadn't pulled away.

            He wouldn't think about why, in fact, Kaiba had deepened the contact.

            He wouldn't-

            Seto turned and swept away gracefully; gliding across the cracked concrete which should have been a crimson carpet, or perhaps a smooth ballroom floor of marble, reflecting a thousand tiny glimmers of light… beautiful.

            Jonouchi repeated the mantra…

            -

            "So what was that all about?" said Yugi curiously.

            Jonouchi blushed, bright red.  He almost tripped – the two were walking back to Yugi's house, now.  Then he composed himself and smirked.  "Just pissing Kaiba off."

            "Language!" chastised Yugi, before continuing.  "Anyway, he didn't look very annoyed."  
            Jou sighed.  "Yeah, that was weird.  But at least I got a reaction, right?"

            Yugi grinned and laughed.  "Right!  Maybe Kaiba likes you after all."

            "WHAT?" Jonouchi began coughing.  Yugi reached up to awkwardly pound him on the back.  "No way!  He's probably straight."

            Yugi started laughing harder.  "Jou!  I meant as a _friend!  Now I know what you're thinking about," he added slyly._

            Jou was about to respond with an outraged cry, when he calmed down just enough for his brain to get through and tell him, _Jou!  Baka!  He's joking._  Jonouchi laughed uncomfortably.  "Yeah, right.  Only in your dreams, Yugi."

            "Why would I dream about that?"

            Jou grinned.

            Yugi turned pink.  He swung his backpack up at Jonouchi playfully.  "You're the one dreaming about my dreaming about you!"

            "I'm what about what?" Jonouchi evaded with ease.  "Hey, look both ways before you cross the street!  Or were you too busy thinking about _me_ to remember that?"

             "No way.  Anzu's much prettier than you are," said Yugi.  He laughed when Jonouchi gave a small whistle.

            "Oh, Yugi, you're too kind!" 

            "Anzu?!"  The two turned around.  Yugi's blush increased threefold.  "Where did you come from?"

            Anzu beamed at having startled them.  "I've been following you since you left the school!  Your minds were totally in the clouds – well, on each other," she amended with a devious grin.

            Jonouchi gagged, and Yugi blushed.

            Yugi was the first, surprisingly, to regain composure.  "Glad you saw us!  Do you want to come over?  Jou and Honda are spending the night, and I'll bet Grandpa will let you stay until midnight if you want."  

            _Yeah, because he's a perverted old man, added Jonouchi mentally, hands behind his head as they walked onward.  "I hope you don't want to play Dance Dance Revolution or anything, though…  I suck at that game."_

            Yugi and Anzu both gave Jonouchi a wicked look.  "Good idea!" said Yugi.  Anzu nodded eagerly.

            -

            What had that been?

            Kaiba was so confused.  Why hadn't he just shoved Jonouchi off?  If he had been in his right mind, he would have without a second thought.

            Obviously, something had overridden his mind – a hefty accomplishment, to be sure.  

            It couldn't have been his heart.

            It couldn't have been.

            Seto refused to believe that that was even possible.  No, he was just… 

            Just _what, Kaiba?  What did you want, what were you waiting for?_

            Why were you so disappointed when Yugi appeared?

            He put his hands to his head and moaned quietly, shaking it in a useless attempt to clear away the memories that were pushing at every fiber of his consciousness and demanding for attention, for examination.

            "Is something wrong?" asked the computer automatically.

            "Nothing.  Go into standby," answered Kaiba in the same tone.

            "Yes, sir, Kaiba," it said before the monitor dimmed with a small beep.

            He couldn't work.  He couldn't think about anything else.

            He was so confused – for perhaps the first time in his life.  What could he do?  What did he think?  

            All of the images rushing at him, again and again and again – 

            "Jonouchi," he found himself whispering, before he caught his voice.  It had slipped out unbidden.

            The focus of this turmoil…

            …centered on him.

            And he just couldn't stop thinking about it…

            Schedule forgotten, he rose from his chair.

            He would go for a walk; maybe all he was lacking was fresh air.

            Or maybe, what part of his brain that still functioned properly suggested to him, he hoped that Jonouchi would be there.

            No.

            Work laid aside without even noticing…

            …he left.


	4. This feeling won’t be fought

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Four: This feeling won't be fought**

            School.

            It was night; glowing threads of moonlight touched upon the other's slim frame, but his face was hidden.

            "Who are you?" asked Jonouchi.  His voice echoed strangely through the dark halls.

            _Do I know you?_

            The figure stepped forward silently, and was illuminated.

            _Why are you here?_

_            I know you._

_            Familiar._

Yet, he felt that something was different.  Those eyes, reflective as still water on a moonlit night, shouldn't have been looking at him that way-

            Cold blue eyes-

            They were ice; a mirror that he could see his own soul in.

            "Aren't you going to say anything?" said Jonouchi.  "Insult me, call me names, tell me I'm an idiot?"

            The silent eyes watched him, and Jonouchi was frustrated.  He moved closer – Seto didn't back away.

            _A dream.___

"Say something, damn it!"  

            The halls sounded hollow when his voice echoed back to him.  Dark, and empty, and the only other person there was a shadow.

            _Is this a dream?_

            Seto raised his head and looked directly into Jonouchi's eyes.  The image seared itself upon Jonouchi's mind.  

            "Jonouchi…"

            He couldn't look away.

            "Don't you hate me?"

            _a__ dream, nothing more, don't look at me like that! but you're so-_

How could he even begin to describe it?  No words he had ever learned seemed to do Seto justice.

            "No," whispered Jonouchi.

            _beautiful__…_

"Why not?"

_pale__ skin; the moonlight makes you look like a spirit_

            _bright__ dark eyes with expression distant_

_            why do you watch me?_

He could feel his heart racing in the silent corridor.  "Why should I?" he asked.

            "Because…" Seto's voice was different, and Jou couldn't begin to guess how.

            _Of course.__  This is a dream, after all._

            Jonouchi was about to speak when he lost control.  He was separate, now, forced to watch as-

            What was 'he' doing?

            Kissing.

            Warm, soft, sweet – so different from what Kaiba _was_ – Jonouchi was amazed.

            Sugary vanilla, cinnamon.  He tasted them in his dream.

            Kissing Seto.

            _Get me out!  _

_            Wake up, Jonouchi!_

And then he didn't want to wake up…

            -

            Laughter.

            Jonouchi shot upright and blinked around, adjusting to the room's light.  "Huh?"

            Yugi and Honda were grinning widely at him.

            "What time is it?" muttered Jonouchi.  "Why are you two awake?"

            Yugi's grin, impossibly large as it was, grew.  "You woke us up."

            "You were moaning in your sleep…" continued Honda.

            "And talking, too!" __

_            Oh, shit!_

            "You've gotta be kidding," said Jonouchi.  "I never talk in my sleep!"

            "How would you know?" countered Honda.  "You were asleep!"

            "What were you _dreaming_ about?" said Yugi curiously.

            Jonouchi's face burned.  "Um.  Uh."

            "I can venture a guess," said Honda cheerfully.

            "What was I saying…?"

            Yugi laughed good-humoredly, and waved his hand.  "Oh, not much.  Just…"

            "Nnn!  Oh!" mimicked Honda.  "What are you doing?  Don't do that!"

            _So they didn't know that he had been dreaming about-_

"We thought we heard you say_ Kaiba's name!" added Yugi._

            Jonouchi gulped.

            -

            "He hates me.  I hate him," he said to himself, running a hand through his brown hair inattentively.  "That's all there is to it.  Nothing more."

            _Although he did…___

_            And I…_

"Nothing more," he added firmly.  Seto wouldn't waste his time thinking about it.  

            The weekend was passing so slowly.  He dreaded Monday – what would happen when he saw Jonouchi next?

            "He hates me.  I hate him…"

            Damn it all to hell!  He couldn't sleep!

            -

            "Yeah, right!" said Jonouchi.  "Like I would ever dream about kissing Kaiba!"

            "Who said kissing?" said Yugi, as Honda said, "Oh, so that's what it was!"

            Jonouchi backed away from their Cheshire expressions and held up a pillow in self-defense.  "No, no, no!"

            "Jou," said Yugi seriously – joke dropped – "we're here for you no matter what.  You know that."

            Honda sighed, taking the hint and sharp nudge from Yugi.  "Yeah, man.  You can tell us anything."

            "But I don't…"

            "You don't what?"

            "I don't know what I feel," whispered Jonouchi weakly.  "How can I tell you?"

            -----

            A great many thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!  You keep me going. ^_^;; No, really.

            So, until next time, just keep on believing in the Heart of the Cards… or… something.  Yeah.

            Thank you again!  I'll update soon. ^_^


	5. Look close

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Five: Look close**

            Where had the weekend gone?

            He knew the logical answer, of course, but couldn't seem to grasp his mind around the thought that time passed at equal lengths no matter the magnitude of a situation.

            Seto groaned and told the computer to shut up, he was awake – though not so rudely, of course.  What would be the point?  He slipped out of bed and padded toward the bathroom.

            A good, long shower.  That was what he needed.  Then he would feel fine.

            -

            Elsewhere in Domino, a blond teen was having the same thoughts.  They weren't nearly as coherent as Kaiba's, but they were there all the same. 

            "What the hell…" he muttered, switching the alarm clock off.  It was still dark out.  He shouldn't have to go to school when he didn't think it was even morning yet.  The word 'morning' should only apply to times of the day when the sun had at least risen, for crying out loud.  He toyed with the idea of just staying in bed and sleeping the day through.  It wasn't such a bad thought, really.  Even if Yugi, Honda, and especially Anzu would disapprove, it would make for a nice, restful day.

            Or was it, suggested a voice in the back of his mind, that he was afraid to see Kaiba?

            No.  Nonononono.  He was _not_thinking about that.  He wasn't going to think about that again.  He had been having some really weird dreams lately, and now Yugi and Honda thought he was madly in love with the stupid CEO! 

            Of course, for all he knew, it could be true.

            Jonouchi rolled over and went back to sleep.    

            -

            Kaiba glanced around the classroom upon entering.  He didn't see Jonouchi.  Was he relieved or disappointed?  He wasn't sure himself.  Kaiba swept past the giggling girls and talkative boys, and took his seat as well as a book.

            He opened the book and resumed reading.

            Who needed Jonouchi?  He had his own mind.

            The book was rather interesting, to be honest.  The author, though not as fluid in vocabulary as Kaiba would have preferred, was quite adept at structuring events.  They pulled the reader in, demanding their full attention.  Kaiba leaned forward, deeply immersed in the world that enfolded him.

           That, of course, was when Jonouchi showed up.

            -

            Jou skidded into the classroom just as the bell rang, and Yugi and Honda began applauding.  Yugi grinned.  "All right, Jou!"  he cheered.

            Anzu gave him a disapproving stare.  "Jonouchi, you should wake up earlier.  You don't want to risk being tardy _again_."

            "The teacher's not even here yet!" he protested upon glancing around the room – noting, in the back of his mind, that Seto Kaiba looked rather more worn than usual.  Gods forbid that a stray hair should escape his perfect do!  He smirked slightly.

            "Teacher or no teacher, you still have your conscience," chided Anzu.  "What is it telling you now?"

            Jou grinned foolishly.  "That it's tired?"

            She groaned and put her face in her hands.  "Yugi, _you_talk to him."

            "He got here on time!" said Yugi supportively.

            The teacher entered.  She gave Jou the same look that Anzu had a mere moment ago.

            "Jonouchi, why aren't you in your seat?"

            At that moment, Jou realized that Kaiba had looked up from his book and had actually been staring at him for a while now.  He gaped.  Kaiba's expression wasn't insulting, it was… analyzing.  Like Kaiba was trying to find something.  It kind of disturbed Jou, not seeing that sneer – it reminded him of Friday.  Friday, when Seto – when had he decided to use the other's first name? – had touched his cheek, stroked him gently, asked him…

            "Don't you hate me?"

            Jonouchi had been surprised by that question.  He had never really thought about it before.  What else was there, but argument and offense?  It was a game in its own right, one that Yugi's other half would be hard-pressed to try and win.  Though, to be fair, the spirit did at times display the same expression Kaiba often did – superiority in its highest, not to be challenged.  Jonouchi had challenged Kaiba.

            What had made him pull that "Seto-koi" stunt, anyway?  It was just a joke, but he could have made other jokes.  Like the ones before.

            Only, he had wanted to do something _different_.  Something that the boy would remember, even if he killed him afterward.  "Yes, I remember him," Kaiba would have said a few decades later.  "He was the brat who pissed me off enough that I hollowed his insides out with my mechanical pencil and burned him alive."  Except he would have managed to make it sound completely acceptable and even that Jonouchi had deserved a worse death.

            Kaiba's reaction was what really surprised him, so totally unlike the cold young man that he had gotten to loathe, and now the entire class was laughing at him because he had totally blanked out!

            "You may sit down, Jonouchi!" exclaimed the teacher in a tone that told Jonouchi she had already said the same thing at least three times before.

            His face flamed, and he took his seat without argument.

            -

            What had happened to Jonouchi, up at the front of the class?  It seemed obvious to everyone that he had noticed, or thought of, something – but what?  It couldn't have been him.  Kaiba had to admit that he was rather … glad … that Jonouchi was out of it.  It gave him an excuse to stare.

            Perhaps he could find his answers in that face.  Maybe it would explain to him exactly why he had needed so badly to touch it, to know just how Jonouchi's skin felt, during that one short moment.  He frowned, and shook his head slightly to clear it.  As before, it didn't help much.  He turned his eyes back on Jonouchi, and realized – Jonouchi was watching _him_.

            _Jonouchi was watching him._

            Why?  Kaiba knew perfectly well that Friday's event had been just a stunt, a ruse          to provoke his anger.  It was nothing out of the ordinary, ignoring his the race of his heart, the flush of his cheeks, his lightheaded thoughts and dizzy steps as he made his way to the limousine that in fact had never come; he had had to take the bus, and find a new driver afterward.

            He hadn't had the concentration to work on his new program all weekend… 

            As he had managed to realize, through the haze, before:

            It was because of Jonouchi.

            Jonouchi… what was his first name?  Kaiba's superior memory couldn't recall: he had called the boy 'mutt' and 'pup' so often, he had forgotten the true name beneath the insults.  It was amazing that he could remember as much as he did.

            Jonouchi, first name unknown; about one hundred and seventy centimeters (he estimated one hundred and seventy-seven); slim and almost a match for his height.  Kaiba could observe shaggy blond hair that contributed to his nickname, as well as a number of nicks and bruises on his arms, when the boy chose to expose them during warmer days.  From the school's 'emergency database', which he had hacked quite a long while ago because of a lack of interesting lessons in his computer class: sixty-two kilograms, blood type B, born on the twenty-fifth of January.   It didn't really seem to fit him, that wintry date: Jonouchi looked so open and energetic; one would guess that he was born in the summer – though that belief was completely unsupported by fact.  Kaiba himself was born in October – October the twenty-fifth, actually.  How about that?

            And yet, he couldn't remember Jonouchi's first name.  Had his friends ever called him by it?  No, his memory supplied.  It was always his last; sometimes Jonouchi, sometimes an affectionate Jou. 

Jonouchi had remembered Kaiba's name.

Of course, he _was_the head of KaibaCorp.  Everyone knew who he was.

            It disturbed him that he couldn't remember.

            But he wasn't about to ask…

            Kaiba glanced at his watch, and nearly groaned aloud.  If the rest of the day passed as slowly as these last five minutes had, he didn't know _what_he would do.

            And, a few desks away, Jonouchi's thoughts echoed his own…


	6. To these eyes bright with steel

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Six: To these eyes bright with steel**

            ---

            Many thanks, once again, to everyone who reviewed! ^_^ You're the best.

            This chapter is kind of weird.  The coincidences run rampant.  Sorry if it seems really random or whatever.  You know, Jou and thinking… ::shrug::  They don't always go too well together.

            Another thought I had: Jeez!  I always put Seto to sleep, don't I? ^_^;;

            And as to the sporadic updating: I blame Robotics.  

            That's all there is to it, really…

            ---

            The bell rang, and Jonouchi couldn't help but sigh a loud and relieved sigh.  Not only had last Friday been the longest Friday of his life, but today had been the longest Monday.  Throughout the entire day, he had found his gaze flicking back to Seto Kaiba.  Whenever he had noticed himself doing it, he had looked away, of course – but it must have seemed strange.  And what if Kaiba had noticed?  There were a few times when the brunette had almost caught his stare.  Every class had seemed to last an eternity, the seconds ticking away like hours…

            And he had four more days to go until the weekend.

            Jonouchi blinked when he realized that his daze had gotten him outside of the classroom and into the crowded hallway without even noticing.  Jeez.  It was almost like he had a crush on the guy or something, he was being so obsessive.

            Pfft.  Yeah, right.  Who would like _that_ egocentric stepson-of-a-CEO?

            He shook the thought away and tried to concentrate on walking.  He wouldn't want to bump into anyone again…

            -

            The day had lasted forever.  

            Even Kaiba had caught the vibe that the other students gave off, and he was hard-pressed to shake off the lethargy settling upon him to get up and find his way to the limousine.

            As a matter of fact, he didn't.

            Without realizing what he was doing, Kaiba let his head drop to the desk.

            He was asleep within moments.

            A teacher peeked in, about to lock the door, and noticed the resting boy.  She smiled amusedly and left; she could come back later.  This would be good revenge for all the times he had snubbed her.  He wouldn't be able to do anything about it, either.

             Seto slept on.

            -

            Halfway home, Jonouchi stiffened and twitched.  He slapped a hand to his forehead.  _Shoot!  I forgot my notebook in the classroom!_  His grades were low enough that one more missed assignment might bridge the gap between D and F – and not for the better.

            Jonouchi bolted back to the school, cursing all the way. 

            -

            "Seto?"

            Kaiba raised his head sleepily.  "Hn?  What is it, mutt?" he mumbled.

            "Um, I wanted to tell you…"

            "Tell me what?"  Kaiba was fully awake now.  "Tell me what?" he repeated.

            "I…"  Jonouchi was blushing.  Why?

            Suddenly, all of the pieces came together in Kaiba's mind.  The 'flirting'… the glances… 

            Jonouchi was in love with him?!

            Why wasn't he upset?

            Jonouchi walked over to him without finishing his sentence, and brought his fingers to Kaiba's neck.

            His fingers wandered gradually higher; he tilted Seto's chin upward and looked into his eyes.

            Seto breathed rapidly.  He could feel the blood rushing to his… face… yes, that was all - Jonouchi's eyes were so - predatory.  He felt claimed by them.

            Seto knew that would not be the only thing Jonouchi would claim, as Jonouchi's lips came down to meet his.

            -

            _Oh, good!  The door is still open._  Jonouchi thanked various deities and stepped in, scanning the room.  There was his notebook.  And there was…            

            …Seto?

            What was he _doing?_

            Jonouchi watched the sleeping boy interestedly.  He had almost fallen out of his seat, but by some miracle of physics managed to remain for the time being; his coffee hair was slightly out of place, and every moment or two he would mumble quietly.

            _Poor guy.__  He must be really tired.  How much work does he have?_

_            Should I wake him up?_

A smirk spread across Jonouchi's face.  This would be perfect.  What should he do?  What would freak Seto out the most?

            …And why did this train of thought seem way too familiar?

            Oh, yeah, Friday.  The day he had called Kaiba 'Seto-koi'.  Yeah, that had been weird.  But the way he had reacted, that was what had surprised Jonouchi.  It still did whenever he thought about it.

_The wide eyes had become hooded, longing.  Jonouchi blinked.  Is he coming on to me?  It had just been a joke!  Jonouchi tried to quickly back away, but Kaiba had the upper hand now._

_            Jonouchi was cornered by that lost look, and he found that he - the hunter - had found himself trapped._

_            Kaiba let a questioning hand brush lightly down Jonouchi's cheek, and for the first time, Jonouchi saw him smile._

            Jonouchi had to admit, it had felt kind of nice.  Not that he was _that way_.  Especially not for Se- er, Kaiba.  He and Yugi had watched enough hentai together that he should have known which way he was oriented.  

            Kaiba was different.

            No, he wasn't.

            Only a few inches away from his face, staring up into those bright blue eyes and seeing him smile –

            - he had had to wonder.

            His inner musings were interrupted when Kaiba's mumbling became almost loud enough to hear.

            "Why…" Kaiba's eyes darted underneath their lids; Jonouchi saw their movement.  It was strange.  Kaiba looked so much more open than when he was awake.

            Jonouchi blinked and walked closer, taking care to be silent.  He leaned closer to Kaiba and listened.

            "Why did you… kiss me…?"

            _Whoa_!  What was Kaiba dreaming about!?  Jonouchi hadn't really thought of him as having that sort of dream.  He realized that, as a matter of fact, he hadn't even thought of Kaiba as being human.

            But what came out of Kaiba's mouth next surprised him the most:

            He said Jonouchi's name.

            "…Jou?"

            _No._

_            No way in hell._

            It just wasn't possible.

            He had to have said something else!  

            Jonouchi realized that his face was burning.  Why was he having such a strong reaction…?

            Well, it's not every day you find out that your archenemy has 'dreams' about you.

            "Jonouchi," whispered Seto, leaving no room for doubt.  His pale hand, resting on the desk, trembled slightly.  

            Then Jou realized something else.

            He was in a classroom.

            With Kaiba.

            Alone.

            And if Kaiba woke up, to see him there, after having that kind of dream…

            What would he do?!

            _No way!_

            Jonouchi grabbed his notebook and fled.


	7. I don’t care how things were before

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Seven: I don't care how things were before**

            --

            Sorry!  I know, it's short.  It sucks.  It's painfully out-of-character and it involves yet more food and painful introspection.  But maybe it'll get better? ^_^;

            Don't listen to me.  Please read and review.  

            Many thanks to those of you who _have_ reviewed!  You all make my day. ^_^ Glomps and cookies.

            As to the lack of Ishness: I'll try harder on the next chapter…

            --

            _No way.  No way._

_            No way!_

            Jonouchi's feet pounded against the pavement as he ran, hardly looking where he was going.  He got glares from all directions as the residents of Domino dodged out of his way; he didn't notice.

            He didn't care.

            There was no way, no way in hell, that Kaiba would ever think that way about Jonouchi.  It was just a dream; nothing more.  Nothing like that would ever happen in real life, because that wasn't the way things worked!  They hated each other.  That was all.  That was all-

                        _"Don't you hate me?"_

-there was nothing, Jonouchi didn't like the smug idiot at all-

                        _Is he coming on to me?_

-so why was he obsessing about it?

            Jonouchi finally had to stop running.  His chest ached now.

            _Great.__  Just great._

            The sun was so bright.  It should have been raining, thundering even, but there were birds singing and the sun was shining and he could smell…

            …food.

            Food!

            Thoughts of Kaiba would have to wait until later, he decided happily as he made his way to the nearest vendor.

            -

            The memory of soft, insistent flesh faded from his senses as he returned to consciousness.  Kaiba blinked his eyes open gradually and glanced around.  He was still so tired, and he had dreamed…

            He had never had that sort of dream before.

            Not…

            It had been so sharp, so real, that he couldn't help but shiver at the thought.

            Now, on to more important matters.  Apparently, he had fallen asleep after class had ended.  The teacher hadn't woken him up?  What an idiotic… He cursed silently.  

            The room was dark, blinds covering its windows.  He carefully made his way around the desks and flipped the light switch.

            The first thing that he noticed, after his eyes adjusted, was a stray sheet of paper on the floor.

            He picked it up.

            -

            Jonouchi resumed the train of thought a few minutes later, though unwillingly.  He just couldn't get it out of his mind.

            He had been having dreams about Kaiba…

            …and Kaiba had been having dreams about _him_.

            But they hated each other, for crying out loud!  Not to mention Jou was perfectly straight.

            Or, at least, he thought he was.

            What was there that Jonouchi would like, anyway?  Kaiba was an egotistical-

            _beautiful_-

            introverted-

            _intelligent__-_

jerk.

            Kaiba was a jerk.

            Not that Jou had been the nicest person when he was around Kaiba, he had to admit.  Maybe he could have been just a little bit friendlier.

            But Kaiba had started it.

            Hadn't he?

            When had they first met, anyway?  He couldn't remember any more.  Probably for the better.

            Kaiba had been dreaming about him…

            -

            It was the paper their class had been working on.  But that was of little interest to Kaiba.

            What was of interest to him was the name on it.

            _So his first name is Katsuya._

            -

            He should probably head back.  The sun was setting, and some real creeps populated Domino at night.  He should know.

            Jonouchi took one last look around the park.  It really was pretty, especially during sunset; all of the colors and the long shadows made the playground seem almost surreal.

            Had Kaiba ever played on the swings?  Had he laughed and tried to do tricks on the monkey bars?

            Probably not.

            Had he ever been a kid?

            Jonouchi couldn't really imagine it.

            If they had been on friendlier speaking terms, Jou might have asked him.

            As it was, he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.

            Jonouchi turned and began walking home.

            -

            Jonouchi hadn't finished the paper.  Wasn't it due tomorrow?

            It was, his memory supplied.

            Kaiba knew that Jou's grades were abysmal; one more failing grade would probably destroy him.  If Kaiba were a good person, he would find a way to get it to Jou.

            As it was, Kaiba had Jou's address memorized.

            It wasn't that late, either, if the school clocks were right.

            Before he knew what he was doing, he had swept out of the classroom and towards Jonouchi's apartment.

            -

            He ran it through his head one more time.

            _"Why…_

_            "Why did you kiss me…?_

_            "…Jou?"_

Jonouchi hadn't been imagining it.  He could still remember clearly Kaiba's exact expression, the way his eyes had darted beneath his lids.  A hand twitching slightly, like Kaiba was young, and caught in an innocent dream.

            Far from it.

            How detailed his dream hand been, Jonouchi could only guess.  But if it had been anything like the ones that Jou himself had experienced, then …

            He shuddered.

            The question was, did those dreams guide Kaiba during the day?  Did he honestly hate Jonouchi, or…?

            _But do I hate Kaiba?_

He thought.

            _…Hell, yeah._

That was when he heard a knock at the door.


	8. Because this is how I feel

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Eight: Because this is how I feel**

            -

            ^_^;; Thank you for your enthusiastic responses.  I know the last chapter was short… TT__TT  I'll try harder!

            -

            Had he imagined it?

            Jonouchi didn't move, listening intently.

            There it was again.

            Knock.

            "Be right there!" he called, figuring it to be Yugi or Honda.  Jonouchi peeked into his father's room; the man was still caught in a drunken sleep.  Good.   He made his way to the door and opened it tentatively.

            Standing in front of him…

            …was Kaiba.

            The brunette raised an eyebrow.

            Jonouchi slammed the door.

            _What the hell?! _thought Jonouchi in a panic, back facing the door.  _Why is Kaiba here?!  _

_            Wait._

_            …I know that he was dreaming about me…_

_            Don't tell me he wants to…!_

_            No, _his more rational side protested.  _Kaiba's as logical as they come.  He knows better than to try that sort of thing.  Besides, I don't know that he actually _enjoyed _the dream._

Jonouchi's panic subsided, and he now felt thoroughly embarrassed for slamming the door.  "You still there?" he said quietly.

            "Yes," grumbled Kaiba's voice.  "What was that?"

            Jou opened the door and stepped into the hallway.  "We'll have to talk out here.  I don't want you waking up my dad," explained Jou.

            "That certainly makes sense, seeing as you just slammed the door in my face."

            "Um, sorry.  Reflex?"

            "Is it that humiliating to see someone smarter than you are?"

            "Shut up," said Jonouchi.  "Just tell me why you're here and get on with it."

            "You might try being more polite to your superiors, mutt," said Kaiba in a maddeningly calm tone.

            "Go to hell.  I'm going back inside."  Jonouchi grabbed the handle, and-

            Click.

            Click click.

            "Shit!" swore Jonouchi, rattling the door's handle.  "It locked!"  _And I didn't think to bring out my key!_

Kaiba chuckled quietly.  Jonouchi turned to stare at him, half angry and half surprised.  Kaiba could laugh now?  

            Well, he had smiled once.  Jou remembered now.  

            _The wide eyes had become hooded, longing.  Jonouchi blinked._  /_Is he coming on to me?/_

_            Kaiba_ _let a questioning hand brush lightly down Jonouchi's cheek, and for the first time, Jonouchi saw him smile._

"Idiot," said Kaiba.  "How long have you lived here without figuring out that it would lock?"

            Jonouchi growled.  "It's been a long day."

            "And my mind is still fully functional.  Why can't yours be as well?"

            "So was your mind 'fully functional' when you were dreaming about me, then?" shot Jonouchi before he realized what he was saying.  Kaiba blanched and took an involuntary step backward.

            "How…?!" 

            "I heard you, all right?  You were talking in your sleep, damn it!"

            "The classroom was alone…!"

            "I came back to get a notebook!  Then I saw you, and you said… you said…" Jou's ears were red.  "You said 'why did you kiss me?'"

            Kaiba stared at him, recognition dawning in his eyes.  "And then…"

            "You said my name.  You said _my name_!  You can't deny that you were dreaming about me, Kaiba!"

            "My dreams do not determine the course of my actions, Jonouchi," said Kaiba coldly.  "You cannot assume that."

            "I know, but… but…"  Jonouchi struggled.  "Damn it!  The other day, when you… what was that all about?!"

            "When I…?"

            "You know!"

            "As a matter of fact, I don't.  That's why I asked."

            "You… touched my face, and… smiled," said Jonouchi, voice choked by the memory.  "You looked like, I don't know… like you _liked _me."

            Kaiba stiffened.  "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Yes, you do!  I already know that your mind is better than others, you say it often enough.  You should be able to remember something that happened less than a month ago!"

            "Why would I be 'interested' in _you_, of all people?" said Kaiba.  

            "That's what I want to know."

            "And why would you care?"

            Jonouchi blinked.

            "Why would you care, Katsuya Jonouchi?" Kaiba repeated.  "You hate me.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Unless I'm mistaken?"

            "Even if I hated you, it would still be important to me if you liked me!  I mean, you can't just brush something like that aside!"

            "Even if you hated me?" said Kaiba.  "You don't, then?"

            "Maybe I don't think you're worth my hate."  Jonouchi smiled slightly and crossed his arms.

            Kaiba's eyes glittered.  "That isn't true, though."

            "No, it isn't," agreed Jonouchi.  "So, tell me already.  What was going through your 'fully functional' mind that day?"

            "I was trying to determine whether or not you were an alien," said Kaiba.  "It's rather hard to tell these days."

            Jonouchi blinked.  "Did you just … make a joke?"

            "No, I really was.  What do you take me for?" said Kaiba.  "Of course it was a joke."

            "You can joke now?"

            "It is within my capabilities, yes."

            "You're not a heartless prick?" said Jonouchi, astonished.  "You have a sense of humor?"

            After he said it, Jonouchi winced.  That had sounded really mean.

            And, apparently, Kaiba wasn't a heartless prick.

            "There are some things that I must attend to," he said in a shuttered voice.  Just like that day, when they had … and then Yugi had interrupted the moment –

            What did that mean?

            He was leaving again!

            "Wait-"

            "Here," said Kaiba, holding out a sheet of paper.  Jonouchi took it by reflex, mouth hanging slightly open as though he wanted to say something –

            _Wait._

_            Don't leave._

_            I have to find out…_

_            …I have to apologize…!_

There were so many thoughts swirling through Jonouchi's confused mind as Kaiba swept past him.  There was a sort of beauty to his movements, though, a fluid grace that made it hard for him to concentrate on any particular thought at that time.  And then he snapped back.

            "Wait!" said Jonouchi, racing up and grabbing Kaiba's shoulder.  He turned Kaiba to face him.

            Kaiba flung Jonouchi's hand away as though it were diseased.  "I have to go.  Unhand me."

            "Listen to me!"  Jou stubbornly put both his hands on Kaiba's shoulders.  The paper made a small crinkling noise.  "Look me in the eye, Kaiba."

            The brown-haired boy glared down at Jonouchi.  His eyes were red-rimmed.  How much sleep had he gotten in the past week…?  "I could have you off of me in less than a second, mutt."

            "You haven't done anything yet.  Now listen to me."

            "I don't believe that you have anything meaningful to say.  Let go by choice, now, or I shall make you let me go."

            What else could Jou do?

            "I'm sorry, damn it!  I'm trying to tell you that I'm sorry!"

            That stopped Kaiba in his tracks.

            The words poured forth.  "I didn't mean to say that, I think you're a really smart person even if you're kind of annoying sometimes – well, all the time-"

            Kaiba snorted.

            "And it's not your fault if you had a dream, I mean, I've been having weird dreams about you too, and I'm sorry I was rude to you, all right?!"

            Oh, crap.

            Had he actually said that?

            "Not that I… think of you like that," finished Jonouchi lamely.

            "Of course not," said Kaiba with a smirk.  If Jonouchi hadn't heard Kaiba's tones so often in school and during arguments, he might have thought that it was the same cold, insulting voice as always.

            But …

            …it wasn't.

            Not at all.

            "You don't want to wake up your father, do you?"

            "Huh?"

            "You don't want to wake up your father, do you?" repeated Kaiba patiently.  "If you would like, I have several spare rooms."

            What?!

            And now he was being … thoughtful?

            "Why are you doing this?" said Jonouchi.

            The smile was small, but it was still there.

            "Would you like to stay the night?"

            "But, but … nightclothes –"

            "Plenty spare."

            "Toothbrush?"

            "More than enough."

            "Hairbrush."     

            "You don't use one anyway."

            "But…" struggled Jonouchi.  "It wouldn't be right.  I don't even ask Yugi if I can stay over when Dad's like this."

            For some reason, Kaiba seemed to understand.

            "You need rest, Jonouchi.  Come with me.  …You won't have to worry about anything happening between us; I do have some self-restraint," added the young businessman with a raised eyebrow.

            "Um, okay," conceded Jou, before he knew he had.

            And then they were in the car, speeding down the near-empty road…

            …wait, did that mean that he _needed_ the self-restraint?

            Or had it been another joke?

            Whatever.

            Sleep finally overcame his senses, in the peace of the limousine, and his head somehow came to rest upon Kaiba's shoulder.

            Kaiba didn't move him; he sighed slightly and closed his eyes.

The worksheet drifted from Jou's hand.


	9. Just believe … if only for a moment

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Nine: Just believe … if only for a moment**

            --

            As always, thank you! Sorry this one was a bit late coming out … there are so many ideas in my head now, it's scary. ::sweatdrops:: They come and they go…

            --

            Gentle, soothing vibration underneath him, as the streets of Domino rushed by.  

            Soft…

            He rested on warmth, and smelled that delicate scent that he had come to recognize as belonging to one person only…

            He dreamed.

            _School again._

_            Moonlight…_

_            That beautiful form, hidden away by shadows._

_            "Who are you?"_

_            I know you._

_            "Aren't you going to say anything?"_

_            Did he really need to?_

_            His eyes said all that needed to be heard._

            The boy shifted in his sleep, causing Seto to drift back into awareness.  He must have been tired, to have let his guard down like that.  After berating himself mentally, Kaiba turned his head to regard Jonouchi's resting form.

            So Jonouchi had dreamed about him, had he?

            For some reason, that thought made him smirk slightly.

            "Don't…" mumbled Jou.  Kaiba resisted the impulse to jerk away from the sleeping young man, barely managing to stay where he was.  The other, however, lost his place on Seto's shoulder –

            -and ended up resting on his lap.

            Why hadn't he woken up, damn it?!

            …On second thought, it was a good thing that he hadn't.

            Kaiba would never have been able to live it down if Jou had seen him blushing.

            _"Kaiba, I don't know…"_

_            "You like me.  Admit it, mutt."_

_            "Why would I?  It's not like you would ever… you know… and besides-"_

_            "If you're about to say that you're straight, don't bother.  I know the truth.  Jo-nou-chi."_

_            "What are you… oh, God…"_

_            "Wake up," whispered Seto, breath tickling Jou's ear._

_            "What?"_

_            Louder this time.  "Wake up."_

"We're here.  Don't make me hit you, mutt."

            "Huh…?"  Jou opened his eyes sleepily and realized where he was, and on whose lap he was resting.  "Shit!"  He nearly flew out of the car-

            -but the door was still closed.

            Kaiba couldn't help but laugh as Jonouchi's head collided with the car door.  "Try opening it first," he suggested, snickering.

            Jou stopped rubbing his head to stare at him.

            "What?"

            "You laughed again."

            "Would you rather I not?" said Kaiba.

            "Wha- no!  It's just … weird.  That's all."

            "I see.  So do you know how to open a car door, or shall I have to teach you?"

            "If this is going to be one of your 'mutt' cracks…" warned Jonouchi.

            Kaiba rolled his eyes ever-so-slightly – how bothersome, his expression seemed to say, are the idiots that populate this planet – and leaned over Jou.  He took the handle, his upper body skimming carelessly against Jonouchi, and pulled. 

            Heat rushed to Jou's face.  It was times like this that Jou wondered whether either one of them was actually straight.

            "Well?  Get out," said Kaiba.  "This is my house."

            Jou turned and stared out of the open door.  His mouth hung open.  "You call that a _house_?!"

            Kaiba smirked at his expression.  "Yes, I do.  Problem?"

            "That's a-" he cursed, and Kaiba grimaced – "mansion!  It's a palace, not a _house_!"

            "It's where I live, anyway," amended Kaiba.  "Are you going to get out, or do I have to do that for you as well?"

            "How would you do that?" blurted Jou.  Before he had a chance to retract the question, however, Kaiba had shown him.

            He shoved Jou out of the car.

            A moment later, Kaiba had gotten out of his own side and helped Jou up, much to the red-faced boy's embarrassment.  Did Kaiba have to take everything so … so…

            Dammit!  He couldn't even think of the right word.  The guy was really messing his head up.

            Kaiba sighed.  "You're welcome, mutt."

            "Hey!  What's that supposed to … oh.  Thanks, I think."

            "You think?"

            Jou took the bait with his standard glare and growl.  "Hell, yeah.  Do _you_?"

            "If you need to ask, then it serves to prove that your thought processes aren't operating very well."

            "Egotistical bastard," huffed Jou, though somewhat more good-naturedly than usual.

            Kaiba merely nodded and led him down the stone path.

            -

            "This is where you'll be staying," said Kaiba.  "Feel free to make yourself at home, but try not to break too much.  If you need anything, use the phone."

            Jou's eyes roved the room, drinking in what they saw.  It looked like heaven to him, a boy who had grown up on a diet of messy apartment floors and stained couches.  He realized that Kaiba had spoken, and required an answer.  "Uh, what number?"

            "It's all written on the card.  Do _not _disturb me unless absolutely necessary."

            "Right, sure."

            "Feel free to stay as long as you want," finished Kaiba.  "Any questions?"

            "Uh, where can I get some nightclothes?"

            Kaiba blinked at him.  "I assumed that you usually slept in your day clothes," he said.

            "Well, you assumed wrong," said Jou, affronted.  "That wouldn't be very clean, would it?  …Oh, and speaking of that, I'd like to find a shower, too."

            "Huh," mumbled Kaiba.  "So the dog is sanitary after all."

            "Say what?" said Jou suspiciously.

            "None of your concern.  The nearest bathroom is this way."  He left the room, motioning for Jou to follow.

            A small, curious face peeked around the end of the hallway.

            It grinned.

            -

            "Spare towels…" murmured Kaiba.  "Where did they keep…?  Ah."  After rummaging through an immaculate cupboard, he managed to procure a set of fluffy white towels, one face-size and the other larger.  "Here."

            Jou took the towels with a grateful nod.  "Uh, thanks."  He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

            Kaiba let out a small sigh – finally, some peace – and left.

            -

            The bathroom was every bit as beautiful as his temporary room, thought Jonouchi in amazement.  Beautiful gilded faucets, intricately designed; clean white tiles with small blue flowers patterning them; bubbly soap dispensers, a tub practically large enough for him to swim in … was it a Jacuzzi?             

            Yes, he decided as he sank into its depths, it most definitely was.

            He could _so _get used to this.

            …_Except for the whole Kaiba-living-here thing._

            Kaiba had actually been relatively nice to him, he realized.  They hadn't gotten into a real fight yet or anything.  Why had Kaiba so willingly offered Jou a place to stay for the night?  Was it some sort of scheme…?

            Nah.

            How hard could it be to actually trust the guy?  He should probably give him some slack.

            Jou squeezed out another few long streams of sugary vanilla-scented bubble bath – maybe that was why Kaiba smelled the way he did? – and sighed contentedly, laying back.

            Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

            -

            Jonouchi shook out his hair – like a dog, his inner Kaiba taunted quietly – and grinned, wrapping the towel around himself.  That had to have been the best bath he had ever had.  "Whoo!" he said cheerfully.

            He then opened the door and looked around.

            …Where had his room been again?

            It all looked the same!

            "…Crap…"

            _All right, here's to adventure,_ he decided a moment later.  He was pretty sure his room had been to the right – er, left.  Whatever.  Just that way.  A few halls down, maybe.  _The intrepid explorer is on his way!_

Clothed in nothing but a towel, thoughtlessly soaking the expensive carpet with every step, Jou trekked forward.

            -

            _Don't think of Jonouchi,_ Kaiba reminded himself, fingers flying across the keyboard as he worked his way through the creation of a new program.  _Don't think of Jonouchi.  Which line of code goes here?  Think of that.  Not him._

Kaiba frowned, typing yet more quickly.  He _would _get the program finished and ready tonight.  It was always best to stay ahead of the competition – although, to be sure, he was already ahead by several decades at the very least.

            _Good … keep going …_

_            …Wait a second._

Kaiba stopped and stared at the 'code' he had just produced.

            "Don't think of Jonouchi … don't think of Jonouchi … which line of code goes here?" he read aloud, incredulous.  The boy was driving him insane!  It must be catching, this disease of idiocy.

            _Damn it …_

Kaiba hit the 'Backspace' key and watched the past half-hour's work disappear into oblivion.

            -

            Fifteen minutes later, Jonouchi was still hopelessly lost.  He had been looking into every room he passed, but hadn't found his own – or even a person to guide him.  The house was dark, and eerily quiet.  He shivered.

            He was cold, wet, and practically naked.  "Come on…" he mumbled, looking into room after room.

            Then he opened the next door.


	10. That underneath each barrier

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Ten: That underneath each barrier **

            --

            Whoo!  :shiny eyes: I feel like Maki Murakami, except not as skilled ...

            Bonus points if you know who Maki Murakami is.

            "Everything has been leading up to this point…"

            --

Jonouchi was still hopelessly lost.  He had been looking into every room he passed, but hadn't found his own – or even a person to guide him.  The house was dark, and eerily quiet.  He shivered.

            He was cold, wet, and practically naked.  "Come on…" he mumbled, looking into room after room.

            Then he opened the next door.

            -

            "Wow…" he whispered, awed by his surroundings.  An expansive room faced Jonouchi, filled with arcade-style games almost to the point where he couldn't navigate his way through them.  Jou stepped forward cautiously, and the lights flickered on.  "Amazing…"

            "Duel Monsters Simulation v.1.0," declared a paper pinned to a wall in a messy scrawl.  Jou examined the machine underneath it curiously.  Its controls appeared simple.  He found a power switch and brought the game to life, its hum making him grin widely. 

            The graphics were simplistic, but Jou could get into the game; it must have been one of the first that Kaiba had designed.  It seemed to be an adapted version of the card game.  Some of the rules were outdated, so he guessed it to be pretty old.  Kaiba must have been at it for a long time now.  Strangely addictive, he noted in the back of his mind.

            Before he knew it, he had made his way to the sixth level and was facing what the machine called 'the number-three duelist in Germany!'.  Jonouchi's grin grew as his opening hand appeared.  This guy was screwed.

            "Who's in here?"

            And speaking of screwed…

            Jonouchi whirled to face the intruder, his considerable lack of clothes coming back to his mind with a near-audible _thud_.  "What?!  I, um-"

            "Jonouchi?  What are you …?"

Kaiba's eyes had widened as he took a step back.  He then paled slightly and brought a hand to his eyes.  "I did _not _need to see that," he mumbled.  More loudly now: "What are you doing here?"

            Jonouchi fidgeted.  He wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed that Kaiba had seen him in a towel or angry at the implied insult.  "Um, I was looking for my room," he said lamely.

            "It's not even in this wing, Jonouchi."

            "I got lost."

            Kaiba took his hand away to glare at the blonde.  "And so you came to ask the games for help.  Of course."

            "And distracted, all right?  It's not like the door was locked or anything."

            The brunette seemed about to reply with a scathing retort, but then closed his mouth and turned away.  "Follow me."

            "Huh?"

            "Hurry up.  I'll lead you to your room."

            "Um, Kaiba?  A favor?"

            A small twitch of one shoulder.  He looked back.  "_What_?"

            "Can I finish this duel?"

            "…Fine."

            -

            "Don't do that.  Don't you see the trap he's laid out?"

            "Yeah!  I wasn't going to anyway."      

            "Then why were you about to click there?"

            "How do you know I was?"

            "The cursor was _only _hovering over that spot for the past four seconds," said Kaiba, sarcasm inherent in every word.  Jonouchi rolled his eyes, turning to face the backseat duelist.

            "Then what would you suggest, smartass?"

            "That you watch your mouth, _guest_."

            "Oh, that stung."  Jou grinned, insult already forgotten.  "Well?  Thought of something yet?"

            "Play that card.  The one that's two from the right."

            "This one?"

            "That would be left."

            "Oh.  …I thought you meant _their_ right, really."

            "And I believe you when you say that."

            "So why should I play it?"

            "Think about it for a moment, would you?"  Kaiba moved closer to Jou, reaching out to point at the screen.  "If you play it, then that Trap card-"

            Jou let out a noise of approval.  "Okay, I get it.  Then what?"

            "Figure it out.  You continue to brag about being the second-best duelist, after all…"

            "Fine.  I can do this."  Jou played the move that Kaiba had suggested, earning a small smirk, before summoning his monster.

            "I'll just attack their Life Points now, then."

            "Are you sure?"

            "What do you mean, am I sure?  Of course I'm sure!  They have nothing on the field to stop me."

            "What about his hand, then?"

            Jonouchi blinked.  "What _about _his hand?"

            "Are you sure that there is nothing in his hand that could stop you?" He brought a hand up, brushing coffee hair away from his eyes.

            "Well … what could he do?" said Jou, uncertainly now.  "It's not like he can just play a card from his hand…"

            "There are cards that he could play, you know," said Kaiba.  "Kuriboh, for example."

            "Is that all?  No problem."

            "If you think so," said Kaiba.

            Jou's hand hovered over the controls.  "You mean there's more?"

            "There could be."

            "Give me a straight answer, why don't you?"

            Kaiba smirked slightly at Jou's exclamation.  His eyes flicked briefly across Jou's still-exposed chest before returning to Jou's face.  "Think it through."

            "What was that for?"

            "Don't know what you're talking about.  Are you going to play, or are we going to be at this all night?"

            If Jou hadn't known better, he would have thought that Kaiba was playing with innuendoes of some sort.  What had been up with his expression?

            "Fine, fine.  I'll attack."

            He waited a moment, and …

            "Hey!  It worked!" Jou turned to glare at Kaiba.  The taller boy began chuckling.

            "You're too gullible.  Like a-"

            "If you say 'dog', I'm going to pound your face in," warned Jou.

            "Actually, I would have said 'mutt'."

            "Damn you!" Jou tackled Kaiba, throwing his full weight onto the CEO.  Kaiba only barely managed to steer them clear of nearby gaming units; they collided with a wall.

            In a swift movement, Kaiba had forced Jou to the ground.  He straddled Jou's back, pinning his arms there without hesitation.

            Jou was suddenly feeling very, very naked.

            "Get off!" Jou struggled – it shouldn't have been too hard, considering how little weight Kaiba seemed to have – but managed nothing.  His face was still but a centimeter from the floor.

            "I'd rather not.  You don't seem very amiable at the moment."

            "This feels … really … wrong," muttered Jou, letting his head fall to rest on the floor.  It was almost comfortable.

            "What?" said Kaiba.

            "…Nothing."

            They were both silent.

            Then, Jou was up!  He forced his way on top of the stunned Kaiba, reversing their positions.  He grinned.  "Did you just let your guard down?"

            "No!" Kaiba's eyes flashed, and he thrust his arms around Jou's chest in an attempt to flip him.  Jou fell off of Kaiba's back, but managed to keep himself from becoming the 'underdog' again.

            Jou just cracked himself up sometimes.

            They stayed that way for a good two minutes or so, both thrashing about in their attempts to regain dominance.

            Strangely, neither succeeded.

            -

            Without realizing it, the two had stopped.  They lay on the floor, both breathing heavily; still tangled together.

            "Hey … Kaiba?" Jou was the first to break the silence.

            "Hn?"

            "What _were _you thinking about … on that day?"

            Kaiba looked the short distance into Jou's eyes, unblinking.  "Which day?"

            "You remember." Jou's breaths began to calm.  "The day I tripped."

            "And you grabbed my shirt," continued Kaiba.

            "That's the one.  What were you thinking when you …"

            Was that a small smile on the wintry face?  "I don't know," admitted Kaiba.  And Jonouchi realized that he was being completely honest – that they were having a conversation about something they had done together –

            It kind of freaked him out.

            "I … I guess I wasn't really thinking about it either," said Jou.  A chill swept over him; he shivered involuntarily.  "…We've been here a while, haven't we?"

            "Are you cold?" said Kaiba.

            "Yeah, a bit," replied Jou.  "So … uh …"

            Neither of them got up.

            If he were asked later, Jou wouldn't be able to say whether it had been he or Kaiba who had made that first move forward.  He wouldn't recall exactly how they had ended up with their faces so close that they could make out each fleck in the other's eyes. 

            All he knew was that they had suddenly become so close that he could feel Kaiba's heart beat; that he could feel the soft silk of Kaiba's shirt against his bare chest.

            And it felt … natural.

            Normal.

            He didn't want the moment to end.

            "Kai…" he whispered, before the distance was closed entirely.


	11. There's a person waiting to be found

**Trip to Fall**

by Lethe Seraph

**Chapter Eleven: There's a person waiting to be found**

            -

            **Rambling Notes that May be Skipped without Great Consequence**

            Wow!  I mean, really.  Wow!

            Thank you all so much for the great feedback.  I'm amazed at how much you care.  It's people like you that keep me inspired.   ::heart::

(end sap)

            I hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint, and that you'll stick with it.  Maybe even drop a thought by when you're done. 

            My own opinion of this chapter?

            **It sucks.**

I've never been one to write Just Fluffy Romantic Crap, and this comes pretty damn close to that invisible line.  (Wait, I haven't?  ::sweatdrops:: Well, there is a limit, even for me.  I'll try to throw in more humor next chapter, okay?)

            A special shout out today to **_Reppu_**, who was kind enough to look over the beginning draft of this chapter and help me through it.  It may suck, but it sucks better because of her.

            …That sounded strange.

            I think that this is the closest thing that I have ever written to … yeah.  Yeah.  Moving on … ::sweatdrops::  I think I should probably end this soon, but I'm not sure where or how … that's always a problem of mine.  Just look at Smile, right? ;;  In retrospect, it really didn't deserve as many chapters as it got …

            Heck, this could probably _be_ the end of it, overlooking the whole 'but what does Kaiba think of Jou now?!' thing.

            **I may hint at Stuff, but I will NOT write about it explicitly.  This will STAY PG-13 … I think … well, tell me if I really have crossed the line…**

            Thank you again.  I can't enough.

            (I know, I know.  His towel is made of a new superstrength fabric devised by Kaiba Corp's home comfort branch.)

            -

            -

            "Nn …"

            Jonouchi closed his eyes slowly, reaching out to tangle his hands in soft silk.  Was it really Kaiba in front of him?  Kaiba, that damned jerk that he had hated so, that he had been so bitter and angry towards … was it really him?

            Everything about Kaiba was so soft – the silk of his shirt, delicate skin, smooth lips – so new to Jonouchi that it was hard to believe that he was really the same person.

            _This … this is my first kiss, isn't it?_

_            My first real kiss, anyway.  _

For some reason, it just figured that it would be with Kaiba.  Life seemed to enjoy screwing Jou over…

            Jonouchi had thought that there was no ecstasy to be found, nothing that could be sweeter than that moment.  He had thought that he had experienced joy in its highest form, with the beginning of that kiss.

            Kaiba let out a small moan, and Jonouchi _knew_ it. 

            -

            "Gah!" Jonouchi jerked awake sharply, his breathing rapid.  What … what had …?

            He blinked in the darkness, eyes adjusting slowly. 

            _…A dream._

Jou wasn't sure, though, whether he was relieved or not.

            Kaiba would never do that.  He would never relinquish even an ounce of control – would never let Jou flip him over like that –

            Would never …

            Wait a second.

            Where the hell was he?

            Then, suddenly, Jou was completely awake.

            _Shit!  It wasn't a dream!_

He was in Kaiba's house, in nothing but a towel – how had he managed to keep it on? – and … lying on a rug?!

            Jou looked up.  There was an elegant four-poster bed, with a dusty green jacket draped carelessly over it: he was in the room that Kaiba had assigned to him.  What, hadn't he even managed to make it up to the bed?

            Apparently not.

            Finally, a memory surfaced.  Stumbling through hallways, trying to keep as close to the other as humanly possible while still moving – the faint taste of cinnamon-

            -then losing balance ….

            Had he been the one to finally trip?

            "…Jou?"

            That was when he realized that Kaiba was lying right next to him.

            _Jeez.  How dense can you _be _at three in the morning?_

Jou met Kaiba's sleepy gaze and smiled despite himself.  "Nothing, Kaiba.  Go back to sleep."

            "…Okay…" murmured the teen, seeming inexplicably younger than his years.  His eyes slipped shut again.

            He ruffled Kaiba's hair.  Would the other remember what had transpired this past night?  Would he _want _to remember, when he was in his right mind again?

            Best not to think about that now.  As it was, he wasn't really sure whether he wanted Kaiba to want to remember.

            What would his friends think, after all?

            He stretched and stood, careful not to disturb Kaiba – he needed his sleep – and was halfway into the bed before he paused.

            He sighed.

            _Damn, why do I have to be so nice?_

Jonouchi got back up and stepped carefully back over to where his host had lain, finding a slim shoulder with his toes.  The thin sliver of moonlight trickling through the curtains was hardly strong enough to aid him.

            The silvery light.

_School.___

_            It was night; glowing threads of moonlight touched upon the other's slim frame, but his face was hidden._

_            Do I know you?_

_            The figure stepped forward silently, and was illuminated._

_            Why are you here?_

_            I know you._

_            Familiar._

            At least there was one benefit to the CEO's irregular eating schedule, thought Jonouchi as he hefted the boy into his arms.  He was as light as his brother, if not lighter.  "Here we go…" he whispered, feeling like some sort of prince.

            Princess Kaiba.  Wouldn't that be lovely?

            His brother had already fit the act quite nicely, ha ha.  Maybe it was hereditary. 

            Jou made his way to the bed, trying to keep it slow.  Wouldn't do well to bash Kaiba's head in, now, would it?

            How things had changed over these past few days?  He could hardly remember.

            But …

            … would they return to normal?

            That remained to be seen.

            -

            He was awakened by a yell and unceremonious shove out of the bed.

            "Jonouchi!?  What the hell?!"

            Kaiba clutched the indigo sheets to him, staring down at Jonouchi with a mixture of shock and horror.  He looked like a girl.  Jou would have snickered, had he not just been awakened by a yell and unceremonious shove out of the bed.

            "Oi!" Jonouchi rubbed his eyes with a wide yawn.  "Don't you know it's rude to push your lover out of the bed?"

            "Lo- lo-"  My, but Kaiba was out of sorts this morning.  Jonouchi grinned up at him. 

            "Yes….?" drawled Jou cheerfully.  He loved yanking Kaiba's chain.  …Heh.  Chain.

            "We didn't … didn't …" Kaiba made a few helpless gestures towards himself, Jou, and the bed.  He then managed to compose himself somewhat.  "Please tell me that we did _not-_"  
            "What, have sex?" said Jou, laughing at the look his blunt question brought to Kaiba's face.

            After a long moment in which Kaiba began to tremble like there was no tomorrow, Jou finally answered.  "Heh.  No.  What do you remember?"

            "…Remember?" said Kaiba.

            _Hmm._

            "About what we did last night?"

            There was that look again.  "I thought you said we didn't-"

            Strange, how awkward and … puppylike … the great Seto Kaiba could seem.  Lost, even.  This was not his field of expertise, and he knew it.

            For once, Jonouchi had the upper hand.  He was going to savor it.

            "No," said Jou slyly, "but we _did_…"

            "We did _what?_" demanded Kaiba, a hint of the old commanding tone creeping back into his voice.

            "Well, look at the time," said Jou.  He grinned widely.  "We'd better hurry if we want to make it to school on time, huh?"

            "Wha-"  Kaiba glanced at the wall clock, cursed, and flung the sheets from him.  He began to get up-

            -and that was when Jonouchi pounced.

            "Hey!  Get off-"

            "I thought you wanted to know what we did," said Jonouchi, lying stomach-down on Kaiba's chest.  His face was but an inch from Kaiba's own.

            "We…" whispered Kaiba.  "That wasn't a dream…?"

            "Nope.  I'm hurt you thought so."  Jou was feeling playful now.  It was as though he had consumed six cups of coffee, a Snickers bar, and then some.  It would have scared him, had he been a more logical person.  But, no, he was Jou.  He leaned down and proceeded to chew on Kaiba's ear.

            "What kind of crack are you _on_, mutt?"

            "Well, I'm on you.  You're pretty addictive, too.  What kind of soap is that?  I didn't smell it in the bathroom I went to."

            "…And why are you acting like we're _friendly _all of a sudden?" added Kaiba, unmoving.

            "You kissed me," said Jonouchi, shrugging.  His motion caused Kaiba to make a small noise, which in turn made Jou grin.  "Hey, are you ticklish?"

              The brunette's back arched as he attempted to force Jonouchi off of him.  "No!  No, I'm not.  If you try, I shall bring the wrath of Kaiba Corp down on- no!  Stop!"

            Jonouchi had grabbed the front of Kaiba's shirt, swiftly undoing its buttons.  "The better to tickle you with_out_," he joked as the shirt found itself being tossed to the other side of the room.  Ungrateful kids.

            "Jonou-!  Not – not there-!"

A small, grinning face peeked into the doorway, unnoticed.

_Good for Seto._

It disappeared as quickly as it had come.

-

"Honda?"

"Hm?"  Honda looked up from the homework he hadn't finished and grinned.  "Morning, Yuug .  What's up?"

"Do you think Jou is sick?"  said Yugi with concern.  "He should be here by now, right?"

Honda nodded.  "Yeah.  He looked fine yesterday.  I would bet that, yeah, he's sick.  Or skipping."

"He wouldn't," dismissed Yugi.  "I hope he's okay."

"Me too.  Heh.  Too bad for him.  That assignment was due today, too… he's screwed."

            "Did I miss something?" said Anzu as she arrived, raising an eyebrow.  "Who's done what now?"

            "Although, come to think of it, it could be a possibility…" continued Honda with a grin.

            "Honda!  Stop that!" Yugi hit Honda's shoulder, his small fist hardly wrinkling Honda's uniform.  He pouted, opting to then cross his arms.

            He was just too cute.

            Honda patted the top of Yugi's head.  "All right, all right.  But haven't you noticed?  Kaiba's not here either."

            "But what would that have to do with… oh.  _Oh…_"

            Anzu had seemingly grasped the thread of the conversation as she added her own comment.  "Well, he could be at a business meeting."

            "That's no fun," said Honda.  "C'mon.  Don't you remember that dream Jou was having?"

            "You have a point…" mumbled Yugi thoughtfully.  "And I remember a few days ago, I saw him really close to … but that's got to just be a coincidence or something."

            "You don't think that Jou is actually…?"

            They burst into giggles.

            That, of course, was when Jou burst into the room, making his appearance as flamboyantly as ever.  "Hey, guys!  What's up?"

            That just made them laugh harder.

            "…What's so funny?" he said.  At that moment, Kaiba entered, brushing past Jou to his desk.

            The bell rang.

            "Nothing, nothing!" said Anzu.  "Come on and sit down."  She shot a warning glare to Yugi and Honda, who were still snickering.

            Their teacher coughed, and the class was silent.  "I trust you all completed your assignment…?"

            The look on Jou's face was priceless.

            "Oh, _shit_!"

            "_Jonouchi_!"

            "I swear, I did it, but…!"

            "That's no excuse for such… into the hallway!  Now!"

            "But-"

            "I said _now_, Jonouchi!"

            The silence was broken as Jonouchi made his way dejectedly out of the classroom, students' laughter following him. 

            Honda, in that moment of uproar, stole a glance at Seto Kaiba.

            He was almost chuckling.


End file.
